Traditional IRA and Roth IRA Distribution
Hi Terry,
I am 69 years old and have a Traditional IRA. My wife Peggy is 62 years old and although she does not have a Traditional IRA, she does have a ROTH IRA.
If I were to pre-decease my wife, she would inherit my Traditional IRA. In that case, if she were to take a distribution from her ROTH IRA, based on IRS rules, would she then be required to take a distribution proportionally from her inherited Traditional IRA?
Thanks Terry!
Terry Says
First, she NEVER has to take a distribution from a Roth IRA! So that doesn’t play into this question.
If you name her as beneficiary of your traditional IRA, and she is your surviving spouse, she will take distributions from the inherited IRA according to the rules in effect at that time.
And a lot will depend on whether you have already started taking RMDs at the time (currently at age 73).
So don’t worry about that, because if you predecease her she will consult the custodian of the IRA, and they will determine what distributions she must take and when — when that time comes!
